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Great torch!

Torches are something that I think everyone has in their homes. They can be very useful for walking the dog at night or for if the electricity turns itself off with a blown fuse or even for children who are afraid of the dark to know they have something comforting to produce light without having to leave a light on all night. With most torches though, there is a down side and that would be the fact that they need batteries which seem to run out too fast all the time and never work when you need them. This is where this torch is different...

First of all, I will explain the packaging it came in. This torch came in a small box which was barely bigger than the torch itself. There was no plastic around it at all. It had a small instruction guide in the box written on thin paper and a tag attached to the wrist lanyard that was attached to the torch. All of this was recyclable which is good for the environment!

The torch itself is however made of plastic, with a rubber top and bottom. The plastic centre is a misty-clear type of plastic that is quite thick. This stops it being broken too easily and enables you to look into the torch easily to check that when you shake it to make it work, the metal inside is moving to create the energy needed for the torch to work. There is a see through plastic section at the top where the bulb goes so that the light can be projected out.

In terms of operating the torch, there is a rubber on button which is very easy to operate without it going off randomly. The light is very bright and doesn't need the torch to be repeatedly shaken for it to work properly or anything like that; a minute of shaking can easily last an hour or more in fact. The colour of the light bulb is a white light. The light it produces reaches about 5 metres long but it only really lights what you point it at. There isn't much excess light cast.

In order to get to the inside of the torch, you have to unscrew the rubber end with the see through plastic where the bulb can be seen through. Then you have to tip the torch upside down so that the inside falls out. There isn't really any reason to do this however, unless you wished to see how it works. From doing this you can see a microchip and metal wiring which is where the energy is transported to the bulb. You may need to change the batteries which work the bulb however. There are two batteries located just below the microchip.

When you put the torch back together, it can be difficult to line up the one button on the torch with the rubber on switch on the outside or it won't work. The metal wiring gets very hot if you shake the torch while it's not inside the plastic casing which could be dangerous for children.

Overall I would say that this torch is very good because it is energy saving in terms of the number of times batteries and bulbs need changing (I've had mine for 5 years and I've never had to change the batteries or bulb at all) and it doesn't use electricity to run it so there is basically no pollution. The packaging it came in was entirely recyclable as well. The price I paid for this was £2.99 which I think was very reasonable given how much it has been used in the time I've had it.

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An excellent Torch to have in the home

Nearly every Christmas I find myself in a panic over what to get my dad. He is one of those impossible dads to buy for who claim they want nothing but would be disappointed if they got exactly that. The problem is if he wants something during the year he will just buy it himself leaving little to nothing to buy him at Christmas. So a couple of Christmases ago I decided to go down the gadget route of presents and among the gifts I bought him was the Shake Torch.

The Shake Torch is a torch which does not require batteries of any kind. To get the torch working all you have to do is shake it. The Shake Torch uses an LED light rather than a bulb. LED light is both ultra-efficient and everlasting. So it seems with no batteries and an everlasting bulb this thing can last forever (I'm making it sound abit like Terminator!)

Now apparently the Shake Torch has a large magnet inside it. This sits within a conducting coil. As the torch is shaken, the magnet moves back and forth generating an electrical current, but I'm sure you all knew that's how it worked anyway.

I have seen a few different Shake Torches on the internet, but I can only really comment on the one that I bought as I have no idea as to whether they are all the same standard. I bought mine from The Gadget Shop 2 years ago for £5.99 and having just looked on the website, I see they are still selling it for that price.

The torch comes in a half yellow half white rectangular box (that we have saved for some reason) and the logo of the Gadget Shop is printed on it quite a lot. There are two diagrams of the torch on the box, one to show you what you are getting and the other to point out the design features of the torch such as its handy lanyard. There is a useful diagram to show you the exact technique to shaking the torch (which is exactly the same technique you have used to shake objects since you were a toddler) and there is a weird little paragraph of writing which says

'In the event of being in a cave with vampire bats, and having run out of batteries, use Gadget No.0444 Shake Torch'

The features of the torch, other than its design are also stated Water resistantLanyard includedNo Batteries required Eco FriendlyShock Resistant Plastic

These features are accompanied by a real picture of the torch. From what I have said it must sound like the box is completely covered, but somehow it manages to look quite plain, like no frills products in the supermarket.

The Torch itself is a nice design. It is 18cm long and 4cm at its widest point. The head and base of the torch are black rubber as is the power button and there is a lanyard attached at the bottom. One of the nicest features of this torch is the fact that the casing is clear plastic (its ever so slightly frosted). This means that you can see its inner workings and when you shake the torch you can see the mechanism that powers the torch moving back and forth. There is a sticker on the torch which informs you that it is non recyclable and to improve grip there is a series of raised dots on the body of the torch.

On The Gadget Shop website it says that you should shake the torch for 45 seconds and it will then work for 5 minutes. But I have found that in practice you don't have to shake the torch for that long, generally a couple of seconds does the trick. I shook it for 45 seconds just for this review (see how dedicated I am) and left it on and it is still going 15 minutes later and in fact it has never run out while I have been using it. One of the best things about this torch is that it holds a charge even after months of not using it. So you turn it on and it works instantly, an invaluable feature in situations when you cant shake it, not that I can think of any situations like that...a broken arm maybe.The light is a bluish white and although it probably isn't the brightest torch out there I do like the quality of the light it produces as it doesn't seem to cast many shadows meaning you can see things more clearly.

Although my dad was somewhat under whelmed by the torch when he opened it at Christmas and to be honest who wouldn't be, as the years have gone past and it has proven to perform exactly how it was advertised, he is now impressed with it and even suggested we buy some for elderly relatives. I think this is a really good torch and a really sensible idea and the fact that it is completely affordable makes it an even better buy.

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A cool gadget to have in the dark

Torches are always useful especially when there's a power outage or for some reason or another you need to go outside in the dark. However it's annoying when you discover that the batteries have died or that you don't have any more spare batteries. With this torch you won't have this problem because it doesn't need a battery. I has an electromagnet and a copper coil inside which induces electricity. All you need to do is shake the torch up and down for a few minutes and you will have light! It's so convenient and better for the environment too. Although it does require more effort than a battery powered one but it's quirky and different. It defiantly has it's advantages over the conventional battery powered ones as you'll never have to worry about it loosing power or searching for the right batteries. It's also fun and the torch is clear so you can see how everything works and you can see the magnet move up and down as you shake it. It has a switch so you can charge it in advance and turn it on when you need it. You do need to shake it for a prolonged time if you want to use it for a long time but then again if it runs out all you need to do is just shake it!

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A Rechargeable Torch with an Everlasting Bulb - How Handy is That??

Torches. Very handy to have for those power cut emergencies, forays into the cellar or up into the attic, breakdowns in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night or camping trips but why is it that the batteries are always dud when you need them (or have been "borrowed" for the TV remote control)?

Our girls have a fascination for torches so "Santa" had brought them a couple of cheap battery operated torches for their Christmas. Being only three years old though, our daughters had a tendency to leave their torches switched on and the batteries didn't last very long. Luckily my brother, Uncle David, trumped Santa and bought them a couple of these rechargeable torches.

It's an ingenious idea. The 18cm/7" long torch is charged simply by shaking it up and down. No replacement batteries, no electricity or car cigarette lighter required. It can be charged in the middle of a field, up a mountain, anywhere.

The body of the torch is plastic and semi-opaque so you can kind of see the inner workings. The body of the torch rows of dimples down the length of the torch; I presume this is to make the torch easier to grip. It has a black rubber base and a black rubber collar round the bulb end too, and a substantial, adjustable wrist strap with a sliding woggle-thingy. It's operated by depressing the black rubber button and has just one setting i.e. it's only either on or off!

It has an energy efficient, non-replaceable LED bulb, but it is very durable, supposedly everlasting. It's also pretty powerful and visible from a mile away (I haven't tested this and I'm not about to run down our street in the dark to test the theory, thank you very much). It certainly cast ample light for me the last time I was down in our cellar hunting for a top hat that I just KNEW was in a box somewhere...(don't ask!)

So how does it work? The shaking motion causes a magnet inside the torch to generate an electrical current which is stored in a holding cell inside the torch until you need to use it. Because the torch casing is semi-translucent you can see the magnet moving back and forth as you shake it, and you can feel the weight transference too. (I had to look that bit up; I'm not really very scientifically minded)

Apparently, 45 seconds of shaking should provide you with 5 minutes of light. I think the torch I have must have had a heck of shaking as I have been sitting with it switched on while I type this review to try and run it down to test that theory and it is still working (and I'm not very fast on the keyboard either).

In the interests of research, I have left the torch on all night, and it is still glowing dimly. As soon as I pick it up, the movement seems to recharge it slightly and it brightens up a bit. I will now shake it for 45 seconds and see what happens.....Right the torch is shining brightly and, as we are in daylight just now, I'm going into the cupboard under the stairs to test the light......Ok, I can confirm that that short amount of shaking did give sufficient light (and my husband thinks I've gone completely insane). I know it's not a scientific test but I'm satisfied with the results.

Weighing a mere 129 grams, this is ideal to slip into a rucksack as a just-in-case item and it is small enough to stow in the glove compartment or kitchen drawer. It will even comfortably fit into a jacket pocket as it is only 17cm in length. They're robust - our torches have been bounced down the stairs, dropped on the floor and stood on and still show no sign of wear or tear.

Although the labelling on our torches does say that these should be kept out of reach of children, there are no small parts to constitute a choking hazard (unless the woggle on the strap where to come detached). The LED light should not, however, be shone into the face or looked at directly, so these are probably best used under supervision by younger children. In a way these are actually ideal for children in that it doesn't matter if they are left on to run down, and there are the educational merits in explaining the "green" credentials of the product and how it actually works.

I know my brother bought these in Tesco (as they have big stickers on them announcing that they are part of the "Tesco Greener Living" range) and I'm pretty sure he said he paid £5 a piece for them. I couldn't trace them on the Tesco website or find them in-store, but I did find them on www.shop-com.co.uk for £5.99 + £3.95 P&P which seemed a bit steep if you were only ordering a single unit. The best buy I could find was on Amazon.co.uk where they were just £4.50 (eligible for free delivery on orders over £5 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolson-Tools-60753-Shaky-Flashlight/dp/B000WDTIEO)

The only disadvantage that I can see with this product is that it does make a noise when you shake it to charge it, so no good for covert surveillance....

Overall, a highly recommended product; convenient, reasonably priced, environmentally sound, effective, efficient and robust. Buy a few and you'll never be left in the dark again.

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A shakey torch which provides light in those desperate times... just be ready to shake!

I was looking for one of these torches for quite a while, I've had far too many times when I've needed a torch in the dark, but unfortunately the batteries are flat, just useless!

This is the perfect invention, you'll never find yourself without light when you really need it. The advantage of this torch is the fact that you never need to change the batteries, so forget only use once batteries which are incredibly expensive over time, or even having to mess around with rechargeables, you'll never get caught out with flat batteries.

Whether you decide to take it camping, or leave it in a safe place in the house for those unpredictable moments, this torch does exactly what it says on the tin, it works, and provides light after being 'shaken'.

Now some people are skeptical about how well they really work with a few shakes. Unfortunately a quick shake back and forward isn't going to provide you with light for the next five hours, it takes some doing... after some rigorous shaking for a few minutes, you can expect about 20 minutes - half an hour of light. It doesn't seem that great, but really, this torch is an emergency torch, which you probably won't really need continually for more than half an hour, and after the light goes out, get ready to shake again.

I can see why people would get annoyed at such a product, but personally I'm prepared to put up with a few minutes shaking in those desperate times. And when they only cost around £5, and that's all you'll ever pay, you can't really go wrong! That's almost as much as two packets of batteries!